Does music taste...

[John Brainlove]

... illustrate something about personality?
Or is it all so subjective that it just is what it is...
Or is it too big a galaxy, with too many factors involved to be quantified in a useful way?
Or does music taste not illustrate anything about personality at all?

Do people stick with what was good when they were young, and tail off as they get older and their world view starts to change in different directions? Is this why most people at gigs are in their 20's?

[Tom-From-Sparks]

I had to do a Psychology assignment about this once, I'm quite a varied personality, sometimes I'm quite cheeky ;D and joking a lot but sometimes I'm shy

My personal taste is varied, I have a lot of different stuff so I can suit the mood I'm in.

However plenty of people are into music which doesn't reflect their personality at all, it's often what it does inside you which might not be reflected by your personality.

[cadd]

I've got friends and family who are either gigging or professional musicians but who accumulate about 5% of the music I do and are more into television. I think a lot of people work too hard and grow old too quickly and no longer have the energy to really enjoy music as regularly as they should.

[bamos]

I was talking about this sort of thing yesterday. Why is it that the average age of the buyer of albums by Dido/Melua/Jones/Tunstall/Winehouse is 45. Does taste mellow as you hit middle age? Will this happen to me?

I don't think it will, at least I hope it won't.

I'm not sure about my music reflecting my personality - I suppose it must in a way though. What I listen to at home must sort of have an effect on the way I fell, and hence the way I act, after I listen to it. I am basically an indie-kid, there are no two ways around that. It's a fact. My record collection tells no lies. And as this, I think I've got a sunny diposition and am happy, chatty and sometimes a big cheeky and funny. Maybe there's a direct reflection here?

I've got a mate who likes Slipknot (a lot), and he's got a big mouth and upsets a lot of people. So maybe it does work...

[SCL]

What Bamos said. I've got quite broad taste, prefer happy energetic music to sad, I enjoy a bit of motown, electronica, folk. And I guess that mostly open attitude is reflected in my personality. But give me indie rock if I'm stranded on a desert island....

[taketime]

I think as well as reflecting your personality it can reflect a stage you're at in life. I know someone that was unhappy throughout their teens and their music taste reflect that, they were into mainly screamo and some emo. Now that they're at a more stable and freer stage they no longer like that music and are predominantly into dance and chill out.
I think that some of the bands I like now will stay with me for a long time, but others I think I will progress from as they will no longer suit who I am as I change and develop as an individual. I can see evidence of this already.

[John Brainlove]

Maybe as you hit 40's and are more emotionally stable and secure (and financially stable and secure) you aren't feeling the angst and you want an easy and calm life, hence the classical/ MOR dido-pop thing.

Maybe. I hope this isn't what lies ahead for me. Although I do love jazz like Miles & Coltrane and I do have a burgeoning interest in classical music. But I still love extreme music like glitchcore, gabba and grindcore too. Hmmm.

Although my mum has always been into that MOR stuff. And my dad still just loves Neil Young and Pretenders and the ocassional new thing like Franz Ferdinand.

[i_deserve...]

let's see:
i started listening to hip hop, which got progressively more ignorantly violent until i was 16 by which time it couldn't get more violent so i started on more leftfield stuff.

then about a year and a half ago i started listening to stones and stevie wonder lps etc (old stuff) and the yeah yeah yeahs album and i realised i liked the strokes.

now i listen to krautrock, electro, house, reggae/dub, hardcore punk, post punk, garage rock and 80s pop along with all the old stuff.

so i don't know where you'd define my personality from that...

unless i'm an ultraviolent pacifist black German or something.

[Durutti]

Don't worry. What remains is the really good stuff. And there is always new really good stuff coming out and really shiot stuff to plough through and slag off on the way. I have an insatiable appetite for new sounds and I am now *whispers* in my 30s. Only just, mind.

[bamos]

That means I have at least five more years. *clenches fist* Yus!